Loan Me Life
by Zelia Theb
Summary: His life was returned to him, but why does it still feel so empty, even with the duties of being Spirit Detective? Give him life, give him feeling, give him purpose, he's living on borrowed time. -YusukeHiei- -AU- -SemiHiatus-
1. Thread I

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About this story: It takes place at around the same time that the anime/manga begins. Although for the most part it is really an "AU" story, it follows the _YYH_ storyline as if it truly was in an alternate plane of existence. Expect shorter chapters and quicker updates than usual.

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Warnings: There will be mild vulgar language, violence, and tobacco use (Just like the anime/manga). There will also be _shounen ai_, AKA male-male romances. This warning is only here for those who can not handle that sort of thing - don't like, don't read!

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Disclaimer: _Yu Yu Hakusho_ is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi. This is a fan-fiction using pre-existing characters in a pre-existing world that is not of my original creation.

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Loan Me Life

By Zelia Theb

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Thread I

This is the tale of Yusuke Urameshi, a fourteen year old boy who died suddenly in a car accident. After being given an ordeal by the young teenaged prince of Spirit World (otherwise known as the place where good and bad spirits go after their body dies), Yusuke was brought back to life in order to be a Spirit Detective. His duties were to investigate strange (or rather, demonic and spiritual) disturbances in the Human World.

Unfortunately, he didn't quite know that yet. The young ebony haired delinquent was still screaming at his acquaintance Kazuma Kuwabara for kissing him.

"What the hell did you do _THAT_ for?!" Yusuke yelled at the taller one.

"What do ya mean?!" the red-head Kuwabara shouted back, "_YOU_ were the one who was dead and was freaking out about getting someone to kiss you back to life! You told me it wouldn't mean anything and that the only way life energy transferred or something was through the lips! I can't believe you're yelling at me for _giving you life_!"

"SHUT UP ALREADY!" Yusuke retorted, knowing full well that he was wrong. He just felt like arguing. After all, he didn't want his friend (since a kiss would obviously mean that they have to take the next step) to think that he was gay.

"Geez…" Kuwabara muttered, "Now I know how your mother feels." He rubbed the chin of his well-chiseled face out of deep thought and then remarked, "Anyway, let's forget this happened, Urameshi. Dub it as a promise between two men. We've got bigger problems."

"Yeah, what's that?" the other boy asked, clenching his fist and cracking his knuckles, "Someone trying get in on your turf or somethin'?"

Kuwabara sighed and pointed into a corner of Yusuke's bedroom, yelling, "No you idiot! How about this girl followed me in here and saw everything!"

Yusuke glanced over to the referred corner and saw a young and very pretty woman standing there, the most giddy of smiles on her face. Her light cerulean hair was tied up into a high ponytail; after all; it was important that everyone got to see how well her peony pink kimono went with it.

"Oh," Yusuke remarked, slouching back into his bed, "That's just Botan."

"WHAT?!" Kuwabara yelled out of shock, "You mean that you had a girlfriend this whole time and you made _me_ kiss you?!"

The girl in the corner chuckled and stepped forward to greet Kuwabara with a bow. She smiled at him and stated, "I'm what humans would call a Grim Reaper. Nice to meet you, Kuwabara!" The boy reluctantly stood up and bowed back to her, unable to really understand the full situation. She pulled out a checklist from her left sleeve and then announced, "But I'm not Yusuke's girlfriend. From what I see here…"

Yusuke broke into a sweat. Sure, it felt nice to be able to sweat again, but…

"Yusuke's never had a girlfriend! He's never even been alone with one in that sort of way!"

Leaping at an inhumane speed, Yusuke attempted to snatch what seemed to be his file away from Botan. His friend laughed at the antics, all the while watching Botan slip the list back into her sleeve as if it was never there to begin with. Kuwabara's laughter was cut short when his air supply to do such an act was also cut off. Yusuke had his hands around his neck and was demanding that Kuwabara not tell anyone.

A beeping from an object in Botan's mystical sleeve was heard, demanding silence from the two boys. After discovering that it was a communication device used by both she and Koenma, they listened to her speak in a series of only negative and affirmative words. When the conversation was over, a silver briefcase materialized in her hand. She set it down on the floor and motioned for the two to join her in front of it.

"Hey, Urameshi," Kuwabara protested, "Whatever this is, I don't wanna get involved!"

"Me neither," Yusuke replied, "But I don't really have a choice because I'm living on borrowed time."

"Well then! You both have to come here, because whether or not you like it, the fate of the world is resting in Yusuke's hands! And Kuwabara, your sixth sense could really be of some help to him!" And of course, Botan ended that statement in a smile.

"Too cliché," Yusuke murmured in reference to Botan's speech.

"Hmmph!" Botan scoffed, "But it's true! Three demons are in possession of the Artifacts of Darkness! We need to get them back before the world gets destroyed and humanity becomes enslaved!"

"Artifacts of Darkness?" Kuwabara blinked, "Sounds like something made up for a video game." Yusuke laughed at the joke and the two of them proceeded to ramble off a few more puns.

"This is serious!" Botan yelled, "Now let me explain everything!"

"I think that's a pretty good idea," Yusuke agreed, "So that we both know what the Hell is going on here."

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Author's Note

Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Thanks )

I know that I have a lot of works in progress at the moment - Let's consider all of those on hiatus (Except for my work Eternal on fictionpress - feel free to take a look at that one too). When I get around to updating my bio again, I'll put up a story status. Lots of my stuff was on hold because I was working two retail jobs over the holidays; so you can safely assume that I had literally no time to do much of anything.

Oh yes - there's more Hiei Fanart at my deviantART account for those of you who like fanart.

A big thanks to _danceDANCEdance_ who does -excellent- work with keeping her stories in touch with the _YYH_ storyline. If you haven't already, go read their works! It was an inspiration to do this particular story.

Another big thanks to kurama-sweethart, who always needs huggles because she just rocks so much. It's because of her spreading the "Zelia Theb" word that I have had an increase in fans. So please, hop on over to her stuff too!

-Zelia Theb


	2. Thread II

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Disclaimer: _Yu Yu Hakusho_ is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi. This is a fan-fiction using pre-existing characters in a pre-existing world that is not of my original creation.

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Loan Me Life

By Zelia Theb

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Thread II

Now that Kuwabara was fully caught up to speed on everything from Spirit World to the color of Koenma's pacifier, he decided that he would sit this case out. His defense was that he never got to be a ghost and learn the 'secret Spirit Energy shooting' attack. Yusuke informed him that he was a dolt, and that he would be most obliged to turn Kuwabara into a ghost; all in few less formal words than presented here.

And so, Yusuke was traveling with Botan, who claimed to have been given permission for a human form by Koenma. The detective had been given several gadgets; one which took the form of a watch but really tracked the energies of demons within its range; and the other a large golden ring which would enhance the effects of the 'secret spirit energy shooting' attack (also known as the Spirit Gun; formed by focusing Spirit Energy into the tip of the index finger and then projecting it out like a bullet).

The duo had already encountered one of the three demons on their hit list; a strange muscular brute named Goki. After one discharged Spirit bullet, Goki was dead. The first Artifact of Darkness was retrieved…

"What the hell is this thing again?" Yusuke asked the girl as they walked down a crowded city street. He was tossing a glowing orb up and down a little less gingerly than Botan would have liked. The teen awaited an answer (but received none because Botan was becoming overly nervous). Impatient, he remarked, "Right, I got it. Some orb of soul stealing. I guess this could be a bad thing."

With a fistful of blue hair in each hand, Botan screeched, "Shut up already, Yusuke! The detector is going off!" She began pointing frantically at the boy's wrist.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, keep your panties on," he muttered, studying the radar, "I guess the next guy is a few people ahead of us."

"Well, go get him!" demanded the ferrywoman of the river Styx.

"Fine! Just shut up so I can hear this damn thing!" Yusuke retorted harshly, "It's not like I got a good look at the guy before he ran off from his other demon buddies!" See, previous to Goki and Yusuke battling, the Spirit Detective had happened upon a chance meeting of the three demons in the woods. The one who seemed to be the ringleader hightailed out of there before Yusuke could see him, and the other one had just finished telling his comrades that he was 'out of the deal' and keeping his item.

"Yusuke."

In fact, he was trying to recall exactly _how_ that other guy looked. The only thing notable was red hair and a maroon outfit that almost looked like a school uniform.

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"Yusuke."

The only way he'd be able to identify the ringleader was if he had voice recognition. There's no way that the guy would strike up a conversation with him; he had seen Yusuke. Plus, the boy couldn't exactly try to make small talk with everyone around the target.

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"YUSUKE!!"

"Yeah, Botan?" he replied, not really understanding why she was so angry with him.

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BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Oh…that's right…

"Isn't that the second one? The one who defected from the other two?" Botan questioned, pointing to a teen only a year older than Yusuke with long fiery hair.

"I dunno."

"GAH!"

"That's a guy?" the teen muttered, rubbing his head from the injury Botan had just inflicted upon him.

"Yes, and he's pretty good looking too!"

"I'll say…"

The teen passed them casually, only leaving a telepathic message (a tender voice which echoed in their minds) to meet him at a nearby hospital later that evening. Perplexed, Yusuke decided to go ahead and meet him there anyway, against Botan's protests that it could be a trap.

To be quite honest; Yusuke Urameshi could have cared less. This new demon seemed harmless and gentle, so why was he supposed to stop him? The thought of his brunette mother Atsuko flashed in his brain; crying hysterically over the death of her son. He mused if that was the only reason that he had decided to come back to life; but _no_; it wasn't. Although he truly believed that he had nothing to live for, he kept on thinking that if he could live on; if he could survive; only then would he be able to find a purpose. Even at fourteen, the wait seemed like eternity; and at the time of his death; he was already at his limits.

He did not fit in. He was not academically gifted; he was not musically talented; the only thing that he knew how to do was fight and survive. Even so; his ability to fight turned him into a loner, so it wasn't as if he had some sort of group to join. It was only recently that he became friends with Kuwabara, but Kazuma had already decided to give up the middle school gang life of fighting and turf control.

Something about this case though; he felt it. A chance to fight for a cause. It did not seem that this demon, who had introduced himself as Kurama at the hospital, was going to give him that fight.

Emerald eyes gazed deep into chocolate. Kurama and Yusuke were on the roof of the hospital, awaiting the full moon.

"…Because I can wish for the good health of my dying human mother," Kurama informed the detective.

"Ya know, Kurama," Yusuke started, "I guess that's a pretty bold thing to do, though when most people think of a demon they don't think that they'd wish for the well-being of a human."

"I love her, and have used her," the handsome demon said, "In return for the granted wish, the mirror will take my life. It is a fair payment for giving birth and then sanctuary to me all these years."

Something inside of Yusuke snapped at that moment. The repeated image of his mother blurred his vision, and out sorrow, pity, and remorse for being a bad child, Yusuke leapt for the mirror just as Kurama was to make use of its power. A bright spiritual light enveloped them both, and they found themselves laying on the gravel; a broken mirror between them.

Kurama stood first, unaware of what just happened. Surely, he should have been dead; but he was alive, along with the detective. He hastened down the stairs to the floor of the hospital that his mother was on, making a straight dash for her room. He was stopped by a doctor; a gesture that made his heart leap with anguish. Fortunately, he told him that his mother, Shiori Minamino, had made a miraculous recovery in a split second.

All thanks to Yusuke Urameshi. For if it were not for his brave action; the entity of the mirror would not have seen such an unselfish use of its power and deemed that both boys live.

Speaking of the detective…

On the rooftop, he was joined by Botan, who was back in her pink kimono and hovering above him on an oar. She shook him violently to get him to stand up, and he did after much protest.

"Yusuke!" she yelled with despair, "It's urgent! The third demon has kidnapped a classmate of yours!" She went on to explain that a girl named Keiko (whom Yusuke could vaguely describe as the head of his class; only because he barely attended school enough to really know) was in custody of the third demon. That demon identified himself as Hiei to Botan during another telepathic transmission; and threatened to kill Keiko if 'The Detective' didn't show up for a fight. Botan could not rebel against Yusuke's choice to go; a human life was at stake so taking precautions over what could be a trap was not at the top of her list.

They came upon a seemingly empty warehouse that was only lit up by the light of the full moon. Botan kept her eyes open; both she and Yusuke could sense a very powerful demonic energy which was most certainly Hiei.

A pair of radiating red orbs stared at them from the far end of the warehouse of where they entered. Disappearing suddenly, they reappeared only a few meager feet ahead of the detective. Almond shaped eyes formed around them; it was the face of Hiei, the third demon.

A face with such anger and hatred, but so much loneliness hidden behind it. A face that Yusuke could not help but be bewildered by. The demon was only about a foot shorter than him; enrobed in black; and a tuft of messy and blue ebony locks sprouted from his head in every direction. The palest of blue hair created a starburst shape in the center of the locks.

The slender and lithe demon was caught off guard. The way in which the detective stared at him was not something that he was expecting. It made him uncomfortable, and worst of all; _vulnerable_. Hiei was not someone that enjoyed being an open book for the world to read. An utter attraction to Yusuke was evident, and he had to shut that out of his mind so that he could kill him. He was alone, he was _always alone_, so the world had to suffer. One boy would not get in his way; he _could_ not get in his way!

And despite the psychic powers bestowed upon Hiei; he was not able to see that the boy would affect him on a grander scale than ever imagined.

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Author's Note

Thank you for all the reviews so far! Spread the Yusuke-Hiei love…

More Hiei stuff on my dA account - check the bio.

Updates are going to go like this - I will be writing an episode of my original fiction (check my bio and go ahead and read it) first and then a thread of this. I'm more likely to update the original fiction if I get some feedback! So go ahead and wander over there and take a look - I'm certain that you won't be disappointed!

Anyone know of a Hiei-Yusuke C2 community or how to go about joining one? E-mail me if anyone knows - I'd love to get Huminshou and a few others up at one.

Thanks!

-Zelia


	3. Thread III

And now for a real change in the story line. I hope that everyone enjoys it!

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Disclaimer: _Yu Yu Hakusho_ is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi. This is a fan-fiction using pre-existing characters in a pre-existing world that is not of my original creation.

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Loan Me Life

By Zelia Theb

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Thread III

"Koenma sir!" a bipedal and muscular blue beast (also known as an ogre) called out.

"What is it, Ogre?" a young teen responded. The light haired brunette gazed up from his desk of paperwork, sucking on a blue pacifier as he impatiently awaited the reply of his assistant George.

"Sir!" the ogre pleaded, taking what seemed to be a remote control into his hand, "Take a look at the screen!" He clicked on a large television screen in the marble adorned office, and a video of the events occurring with the Spirit Detective played.

"Ohh…" the amber-eyed teen groaned, "I knew this would happen! Now my only Spirit Detective is going to bite the dust at the hands of the menacing Hiei…"

"You don't have to be so dramatic, sir!" his assistant insisted, "In fact, since you're the Prince of Spirit World, you should be able to find another detective, right?"

"It's not that easy!" the toddler cried out, pounding his tiny fists onto the desk.

"Um, Koenma sir…" George interjected, "You're a baby again." From time to time, Koenma liked to change into a teenaged form, mostly because he was older than most of his servants (seven hundred or so, last George counted anyway), but he was still a toddler in Spirit World terms.

"Shut up!" the baby in blue garments pleaded, "Now get off your butt and send a message to Botan that she needs to fix this problem!"

"Of course, sir!"

"Ahh…" Koenma sighed, slipping back into his older and much more handsome form, "I can't possibly bargain with the ransom that Hiei set for Yusuke's life…"

Meanwhile, at a warehouse the next city over from the previous one, Yusuke sat on a stack of wooden crates, surrounded by yellow binds of energy. Hiei had kidnapped him, telling Botan that he would only exchange Yusuke in return for the other two artifacts (the orb she had snatched from Yusuke earlier in that day, and she collected the pieces of the mirror from the hospital rooftop after Yusuke was captured).

"You know," Hiei said to his captive, "This girl is no longer necessary to me." His deep red eyes gazed over at an unconscious human girl with light brown hair tied back into to pigtails. The demon cackled, waiting for a brash response from Yusuke.

Unfortunately for him, he would have to wait for a very long time for that. Yusuke Urameshi was fast asleep.

"Hn. What an idiot, sleeping at a time like this," Hiei muttered. Letting his guard down, he perched himself on a separate stack of crates, leaning his back into a corner of them and cradling the stolen sword (the third artifact). He observed the room around him; the girl was breathing as if she was sleeping, but Yusuke almost looked awake.

The detective… his appearance was truly as boyish as his own, the demon realized. He just wanted to reach out and touch his face, just to feel its texture. A wave of nausea came over Hiei then; why was Yusuke so content and vulnerable? Furthermore, why did he feel _drawn_ to the boy in a way that he never could imagine he could be with a human?

Yusuke sneezed and woke up. Hiei was startled for a moment; he shouldn't have let his thoughts wander.

"What're you lookin' at?" Yusuke asked gruffly.

"Hn. I'm making sure that you don't attack, even though it's obvious that I'm faster than you are," Hiei retorted.

"Whatever, three-eyes, it's not like I can move anyway," the boy answered in an obviously sarcastic tone. He thought about it for a moment; it was awfully strange that the demon had three eyes; especially since the third one (planted right above the other two in the center of his forehead) looked nothing like the others. It was a creepy violet, glowing red in times of battle, and seemed to move on its own.

Hiei had revealed the eye earlier that night, announcing that Yusuke should 'fear the eye of Jagan' and then complained when the boy seemed unaffected by its psychic powers. Instead of continuously dodging Yusuke's punches with fast footwork, Hiei decided to use the full effects of the eye's power and captured him with the energy binds holding him now.

"That isn't real, is it?" the now curious boy asked.

"Hn. That's none of your business," Hiei scoffed.

"Fine, whatever," Yusuke remarked, annoyed, "I was just trying to make conversation." He inhaled and then directed the air upwards towards his hair, which was falling ever more-so into his face. The fact that he couldn't use his hands annoyed him; though it wasn't as if he couldn't get out of the binds easily. Over the course of the last three hours they actually seemed to get weaker.

Yusuke felt like playing the mission out a bit more, anyway. He wanted to see if Koenma actually had any balls, or if he would give in to Hiei's demands. He wasn't going to work for someone if they weren't tough.

He also knew that Hiei would not hurt him, even though he was certain of _how_ he knew that. He figured that this would be a good chance to _really_ observe demon tactics; not to mention that he actually had no where to go. His mother was probably still out getting drunk with their rent money. The thought of why he even bothered to come back to life entered his mind once more, and the morbid question was answered by a nagging feeling that soon he would find his purpose, if not already.

The wandering thoughts of the two were halted by the clamorous opening of a metal warehouse door. Hiei's Jagan eye radiated red; he sensed the presence of not just one demon, but _four_.

"It's time to go, Detective," Hiei said, leaping to his feet faster than Yusuke's naked eye could register. He unsheathed the sword, which had the ability to change living things into low-class brainless demon drones, and prepared to escape.

"What? Did Koenma send a few tough guys to come rescue me?" Yusuke caustically inquired. He focused only a moment and broke the bindings around him, much to Hiei's surprise, and added, "Fine then, I guess it's time for me to go then. I'll just be taking Keiko and…"

"No, you idiot!" Hiei scolded in a whisper, "Those aren't Koenma's lackeys; they aren't even his father's. That's demon energy you sense."

"Ahh…so they're stronger than you," Yusuke mused, "Well then…" He stuttered his last word when Hiei grabbed his wrist with his free hand.

"Shut up and move," the wary demon demanded. He jumped off of the crates with Yusuke stumbling in tow, and ran toward and alternate exit; a broken window.

"Let me go!" Yusuke urged, "We have to go back and get Keiko!"

"It's too late," Hiei informed him, "We'll die." The concise statement said all that it needed to. Spirit World could probably take care of a casualty, Yusuke figured. On top of that, the only other consoling thought was that the demons were indeed looking for Hiei or himself, and would ignore Keiko completely.

"Let me go, Hiei!" Yusuke pleaded again.

"Hn. Stupid fool," Hiei sneered, "Do you really think that you'd be able to keep up with me otherwise?" Yusuke made no move to protest. Hiei wasn't gripping him _too_ hard, only enough to make sure that he kept up with him.

The two of them moved into a conveniently placed forest, dense with trees and other plant foliage. The sun would rise in a few hours, but the trees would still allow them to blend in. Hiei felt most comfortable in areas such as this, and in his head he schemed his next course of action; a surprise attack.

"That's one big ass tree," Yusuke pointed out, nodding ahead of them and still stumbling in an attempt to keep up with Hiei. His description was right; the tree was enormous but was partnered with several others just like it. The roots formed a nice little niche in the ground, one which the two could hide in and wait. Hiei's Jagan eye was able to mask his own energy; he just hoped that the demon would confuse the energy of Yusuke with the scent of Keiko.

"In here," Hiei directed, stashing both of them into the niche. It was roomier than originally thought, but the two of them still had only inches between their bodies. A peculiar tension invaded the minimal air of the hiding spot; caused by both the grave situation and the fact that Hiei neglected to let go of the boy's wrist.

"Did we really run that fast?" the detective whispered. It seemed as if five minutes had passed since they went into hiding, and the demons had not shown themselves just yet.

"Yes, but we may have just lost them."

"Nah, I don't think so…" Yusuke stated. Brushing shoulders with Hiei, he pointed in the distance at a humanoid demon with maroon skin and horns extending every which way from his head. Blue silk pants seemed to be the only covering it felt like wearing.

"I can smell you…" the deep and layered voice of the demon echoed, "…Human meat." The last statement brought Yusuke's worry back to Keiko. Had they eaten her, and that's why they couldn't catch up? The mere trace of feeling that Yusuke had left a fellow human being behind when he could have saved them made him sick to his stomach.

Yet his emotions empowered him. Whispering softly, he said, "I'll handle him, you just wait here for the others." The demon's grip on him eased to nothing, and Yusuke appeared in front of his challenger.

"And I can smell you, and unfortunately for my nose, you smell like ass," Yusuke remarked.

"Where has the fire demon Hiei absconded to?"

"Whaddya mean?" Yusuke answered, "Absconded? You've got it all wrong, whatever your name is…"

"I am Lord Kinpo, meat," the demon replied, "Now tell me where the fire demon has gone!"

A warm wind blew through the forest ominously, rattling the leaves and calming Hiei, who was ready to attack when Lord Kinpo was truly distracted.

"I killed him," the boy informed the enormous monster. The expression on Kinpo's face turned from angry to angry and bewildered; "Oh, didn't you know?" Yusuke paused and then responded to his own rhetoric, "I'm the Spirit Detective, and my job is to take out worthless thugs like you."

"Koenma's Spirit Detective, hmm?" Kinpo said with a smile, "I suppose you have made my job far easier, and killing you would be an extra boost to my reputation…But…"

"But? Having second thoughts? Are you scared of lil' ole me?" Yusuke taunted, a mischievous grin crossing his lips.

"Where is the third Artifact of Darkness? If you killed Hiei, then surely you should possess it!" The beast raised his fist at his own deduction.

"That crappy old thing? What use do I have for that dull old blade?" Yusuke lied, "It's really a piece of garbage, but all of you demon idiots seem to think that it has some sort of mystic power."

At that moment, Lord Kinpo charged to attack the detective. In that same instant, Hiei also escaped from hiding…

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To Be Continued…

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Author's Note

Definitely a big change up, huh? A chapter full of action is coming next! I have a contest for my readers, and a bunch of other goodies too! Just click my bio, and head to my livejournal for more information! Kiriban fanart/fanfiction, you say? You just might be right! So like I said, click the bio - because we can't use the review system as an interactive forum.

As a few of you have already noticed, there were some really minor changes made to the story line aside from the bigger ones. So to answer a question - yes, the mirror was supposed to break, because as we can see here, there was no big battle in the warehouse between Hiei and Yusuke!

And don't forget to Review Regularly!

Until next time…

-Zelia


	4. Thread IV

Thanks for all the reviews thus-far! Keep 'em coming!

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Disclaimer: _Yu Yu Hakusho_ is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi. This is a fan-fiction using pre-existing characters in a pre-existing world that is not of my original creation.

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Loan Me Life

By Zelia Theb

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Thread IV

Hiei was awaiting punishment, along with the demon Kurama. The two of them had been apprehended two months ago and now had to see Koenma, the prince of the Spirit World. They were uncertain, of course, as to what Koenma's appearance would be, but from what they knew about his father, they weren't expecting someone that they could escape from. Their crimes were unspeakable, and surely Koenma would shut them up, in order to keep the thieving of the Artifacts a secret from the King.

And even though judgement was pending, Hiei could not erase the memories of Kinpo's demons from his mind. He had defeated an even uglier beast; a beast which had been lurking in the trees and had made a move to kill Yusuke when Kinpo did. That was when the others came out, and Hiei promptly defeated them, using the powers of his stolen sword to change one of them into a brainless zombie, and turning it against the other. Once the rest of Kinpo's group had been laid to rest, Hiei had returned to Lord Kinpo himself, only to stand in awe at the fight between the demon and the detective.

The raw Spirit Energy of Yusuke enveloped him and the surrounding forest. He felt warmth and passion from the aura, along with a sense of survival and a need to protect. His opponent had no chance to even revel in the glory of the attack, which Hiei learned was called Spirit Gun. A soft green glow tore through the demon, and although the speed of it was no where near Hiei's, it was certainly just as powerful.

Respect for the boy's power entered Hiei. A fight between them would most certainly be even, and be decided by the choices the two would make during it. However, one question lurked there; did Yusuke choose not to fight Hiei? There was no doubt in his mind now that perhaps Hiei would have been defeated, mostly due to the fact that he greatly underestimated his power. He wondered if he would have had to transform with the power of the Jagan Eye in order to match it. The curiosity poured into him; it excited him. The demon wanted to see Yusuke again; though such a chance would never occur in jail.

Much to the surprise of himself and Kurama, Koenma was a young toddler, although his form did not mean anything. When the two of them had been called into the office, they were offered the most unusual sort of deal.

"The Spirit Detective is strong, but not strong enough," Koenma began, his hands politely folded on his desk, "Take a look here." His assistant George then revealed a large monitor to them, and began playing footage of a recent competition; a contest in which the well-known psychic Genkai was to choose an apprentice from. Yusuke had inadvertently met up with his friend Kuwabara, and the two of them had made it to the finals of the competition, defeating the infamous demon Rando in the process. Kuwabara was seriously injured, and Genkai had chosen to train Yusuke; something that he had been doing for the past four weeks.

"Hn," Hiei snorted out of line, "Looks strong enough to me." Kurama gave him a commanding gaze, letting Hiei know that Kurama's sentence could be affected if he rebelled any further.

"Kurama," Koenma continued, "You'll be happy to know that Shuichi's mother was informed that he had to go away on an academic trip to study for a while." Emerald eyes closed in comfort, and then opened again.

"You will be able to go home again, as we can see that your intentions were not to harm humans in any way, however…" Koenma turned his gaze to Hiei, "Hiei you'll be part of that 'however' as well. I'll allow both of you to remain in Yusuke's city on probation, but only if you assist Yusuke with his missions when needed." The short prince turned back to Kurama and informed him, "Kurama, your main job would be to keep Hiei in line. His original sentence was life in prison, but if he's good and stays within the city lines, helping Yusuke of course in between, his sentence may only be a few humans years, or less."

"Tch," Hiei scoffed, "I don't need a babysitter nearly as much as yo…" Kurama's hand swiftly covered Hiei's mouth, preventing the words from exiting. He smiled and nodded in agreement with the prince.

As Koenma began to show the two their first case, Yusuke was being briefed by Botan back in the Human World.

"Hmm…" Yusuke mused. He was in a dark storage room, gazing into a gaping hole to Demon World that Botan had revealed under a floorboard. The tall Kazuma Kuwabara was also with them, because Botan had found both of them, fresh from beating a few thugs from another school.

"Well, are you going to jump in?" Botan inquired, violet eyes glaring at the detective.

"I'll go!" Kuwabara cried out, pushing through Yusuke, "Anything for a pretty gal like yourself! Geronimo!" It was then that the boy jumped into the unknown, much to the surprise of everyone, including Koenma back in Spirit World.

"Damn him! He's gonna get killed!" Yusuke complained, "Ah well, I guess I'll go make sure that he's okay. Plus it gets me outta talking to that Keiko girl tonight. She keeps calling my house all the time like she likes me or somethin'!" With that statement, Yusuke entered as well, leaving Botan to deal with the other issues this new case had left her with on Earth.

Four Saint Beasts managed to leak dangerous demonic insects through a rift between the Human and Demon worlds, and were using the insects to infect the weak minds of people and turn them into crazed zombies. Spirit World wasn't certain as to how they were able to control the insects, but what they did know was that the beasts had to be stopped. They informed Koenma that the insect invasion would not stop unless they were allowed passage out of the prison that they were in, a labyrinth known as Maze Castle located in the Demon World.

The two boys had already gotten themselves into a sticky situation. Humanoid beings covered in moss were springing up from the forest colored blades of grass and attacking them. They were relatively easy to beat, but the quantity of them was draining their stamina reserved for future encounters. At precisely the same time that Yusuke found himself in the stranglehold of four creatures, Hiei and Kurama fell from the sky.

"Rose Whip!" shouted Kurama. A rose which had mysteriously appeared in hand metamorphosed into a long whip covered in razor-sharp rose thorns. With one flick of his wrist, he eliminated a handful of the beings. Hiei, on the other hand, was careful not to impale Yusuke and had freed him from the grip of the monsters with his sword.

The fighting continued for only two more minutes, and when all was silent and certain, deep inhalations from the boys could be heard. Kurama made sure to explain the probation and introduce himself and Hiei to Kuwabara, quickly followed by the start of a quarrel between the tallest and the shortest.

"Hn, from what I've seen, this lump could barely cut a loaf of bread with that sword of his," Hiei insulted.

"Hey shrimpy!" Kuwabara retorted, "I could crush you with my pinky!" As Kuwabara went to hit Hiei, not only did Hiei movie to avoid the attack, but Yusuke stepped in front of where Hiei _should_ have been and cussed at his friend to stop.

When the fighting had settled, the four trekked onward toward a very tall and very menacing establishment, which was no doubt Maze Castle. Earlier, Yusuke had been annoyed by the fact that he had no time to rest between tasks lately (and at the fact that Kuwabara's idiocy had forced him into this particular case), but now…now he felt like he had to perform at his best. He had to show off, to let everyone know that he was strong, and most of all, worthy of his attention. He found himself staring at the untamed strands of midnight that walked only a pace or two ahead of him, and his mouth began to open without him even realizing that he was about to speak.

"Hiei!" he exclaimed, quickening his step so that he was walking alongside the fire demon's right side, "Think we can take these guys?"

"Easily, Detective," Hiei answered. Kurama's eyes darted over to them briefly, and then let his own pace slow to pass time and strike up human conversation with Kuwabara.

"I see you got a different katana," Yusuke noted, observing the long steel sword sheathed under Hiei's black cloak.

"Hn. They wouldn't exactly allow me to keep an Artifact of Darkness," Hiei replied curtly. Crimson shifted right, and also brushed across Hiei's face for a moment. His sight stared ahead once more, and he asked, "If you had a power like that, why did you not bother to escape from me." He figured that it would seem less curious if he worded it like an outer thought versus a question.

"To be honest, man…" Yusuke exhaled, "There wasn't much to escape to."

"So you waited for me to kill you? That's pathetic."

"No, dying is cowardly!" Yusuke spat back, hurt by the truth of the insinuation, "It's just that I wanted to see if Koenma had enough balls to not give in to your demands."

"I suppose that's fair, though what would you have done if he had? Would you have continued working for him, pursuing whatever justice the Spirit World deems is fair?" Yusuke could not answer, he was stumped.

"Life is not fair, in any of the three worlds." Hiei's words spilled out of him, revealing more about his own life than he would have cared to if he had done so consciously.

Yusuke sighed, "I just wanna survive until…"

"You find something to justify survival," Hiei finished.

"Hey!" a gruff voice called from a few feet back, "What're you two talking about!" Kuwabara and Kurama ran up to them, halting their conversation about their schools. Kuwabara remarked, "We're here! Let's bust this place up!"

The four gazed up at the enormous towers that appeared to be gathering storm clouds. With an exhalation of fear, Yusuke trudged in ahead, with the other following, and ready to fight anything that awaited them on the other side of the door.

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Author's Note

I have no consistency with my chapter lengths in this story.

I've also undertaken another project at fictionpress, which I'm rather enjoying, along with trying to choose one of my fan-fictions to enter in a convention fan-fic contest (What's your favorite? E-mail me!).

My deviantART Valentine's Day kick is over, so if you haven't; go ahead and check out a Kurama picture I put up there. Though when I have the time, I might even try and throw a Hiei one in there…

Don't forget about my Kiriban contest at my LiveJournal! And review, review, review!

-Zelia


	5. Thread V

Author's Note

This chapter will definitely answer all of your questions. This was not a plan that just unfolded, either; it's been sitting there, and will be the start of a chain reaction of differences. Please read the A/N at the end of the chapter when you're done ) Thanks.

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Disclaimer: _Yu Yu Hakusho_ is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi. This is a fan-fiction using pre-existing characters in a pre-existing world that is not of my original creation.

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Loan Me Life

By Zelia Theb

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Thread V

A small purple creature resembling a bat whizzed over their heads. The four only caught a glimpse of its body, which consisted of a single large eye, before hearing the friction between two stones. A perfect cube of stone came crashing down upon them, and in reaction they instinctively brought their hands up to catch it. They had fallen into a trap, know as the Gates of Betrayal by the inhabitants of Maze Castle.

Muscles tensed up, and all of them had realized that if even one of them moved, the weight of the stone would crush them. Yusuke inwardly cursed the laws of gravity, wondering why a place as strange as the Demon World would have such binds to physics.

"Ich ich ich ich ich!" the bat chuckled, "The stone is magical, so that it will always be just a tad heavier than it should, making your muscles and energy strain."

"This is a bunch of crap!" Kuwabara shouted. A pain crept through his back; he wasn't used to contorting himself in that way, having to adjust to Hiei's shorter size in order to keep up his portion of the stone.

"You're tellin' me!" Yusuke exclaimed, "I'd rather eat pancakes than be one on my birthday!"

"It's your birthday?" Kuwabara asked, thinking that it was rather unfair for him to be killed on the day of his birth.

"Yeah," Yusuke answered, much to Hiei's annoyance, "I'm fifteen, or supposed to be!"

"You're catching up to Shuichi, I'm afraid," Kurama stated, his voice showing only minor signs of stress.

The bat's wings continued to flap impatiently. It wanted the four intruders to die, and its taunting just wasn't getting through to them. It sensed an even more malevolent presence in the room than itself. The creature could see it; there was a false Jagan Eye implanted on the forehead of the short fire demon, hidden well behind a white ward. The bat was certain that the demon would slay him.

"Ich ich ich!" it cackled, "You may only go forward or backward, but only one of you will be able to escape before the others are crushed, unless you make it to this lever in time! Ich ich ich!" The bat fluttered around in a few anxious and excited circles; mostly to watch the movements of Hiei's pupils; and discovering that Hiei was indeed most likely swift enough to kill him.

"Ich ich! These are the Gates of Betrayal!"

"Hn, I've heard enough of your annoying laughter," Hiei scorned, "I've slain many creatures like you, and I know how this spell works. That lever won't do much…" At that moment, Hiei disappeared, and the other three only knew this because their burden became even more unbearable.

"Gah! Shorty left us to di…!" the tallest of them cried, interrupted by the absence of a stone over his head. It turned into dust, which covered the remaining three in a light blanket of gray.

"You fool," Hiei cursed at him. The demon stared down at the bat as he sheathed his sword, not entirely proud of the imperfect cut that lay across its eye.

"Yeah, man!" Yusuke remarked excitedly. He ran up to Hiei and patted him on the shoulder as a commendment. It certainly was exciting to him, now that his eyes were trained to focus on the movements of such swift attacks.

"B…but!" Kuwabara stuttered.

"Idiotic lump," Hiei started with a death-glare, "That creature was the one who cast the spell. It comes from a race of enchanters. The lever would have done nothing."

Kurama nodded at Hiei and motioned for everyone to step back. He revealed his Rose Whip once more, and cracked it at the lever. A small and heavy platform fell from the ceiling; steel spikes prominent on its underbelly; and tore into the cement of the floor like it was butter.

Kuwabara was dumbfounded. He felt silly for criticizing Hiei, but there was still something about him that he just _did not like_. It was like the demon was hiding something; and Kuwabara's extra-sense perceived it as if it was an entirely different entity.

"We should continue," Kurama suggested, "But we must take care in where we step." The four then continued their journey in silence, taking a step through the only passageway connected to the main entrances, which continually grew darker as they walked. The floor suddenly gave out on them; much to the irony of the attractive boy's words; and they came tumbling down, along with chunks of rock, brick, and dust. Instinctively, Kuwabara commanded forth his Spirit Sword, a weapon which was a focused extension of his own Spirit Energy, and it illuminated the dark pit in an ember glow.

At once the group was made aware of the large rock covering Hiei. Kurama hastily removed the boulder, gingerly taking care not to injure the demon further. Eyes grew wide and then settled when Kurama discovered that Hiei was all right, and would probably regain consciousness within a few minutes. The striking red-head then used his demonic powers to spawn a less painful vine than that of his thorn whip. The plant took root and soon sprouts formed, crawling their way up the destruction.

Kuwabara was busy assisting Kurama, and wondering if he could focus his Spirit Energy enough to turn his sword into a pole vault. He had caused it to grow longer before; it was a technique he was practicing while Yusuke was busy with the psychic Genkai. However, it still was not perfected.

Yusuke knelt beside his fallen comrade. A dusty hand came up to greet a dusty face. The boy learned that the demon's skin was soft and warm, just like that of a human. The vivid memory of the night that the two first met fell upon him; Hiei's hand was just as gentle.

The detective glanced over to check up on the status of the situation. The vine was still growing, and his classmate had extended his sword to the length of it; the result was the realization that the four had fallen farther than expected; and that their own energies were to blame for the ease of the fall. Yusuke sighed in defeat, but perked back up as the nerves on his fingertips tingled. Hiei was conscious again.

"What happened," Hiei stated, demanding to fill in the gaps caused by minor memory loss. He wiped his sleeve over his face, taking most of the dust off, and stood to brush the rest of it off of his cloak.

"Well," Yusuke explained, "Kurama said to be careful where we step, and then he went and stepped on a brick that made the floor collapse from beneath us, and then…" Said boy blushed as Yusuke rambled on; "And then that giant thing over there fell on you, and you were out for like two minutes."

"Hn," Hiei grunted. He observed a small laceration on his palm, and began lapping at the wound with his tongue. The action resembled that of an animal, which the Spirit Detective found rather humorous _and_ adorable.

"Thank you, Kuwabara," the fox-demon said. He then addressed everyone, and announced, "We may climb out now. Let's hope that nothing awaits us at the top." The remaining trio nodded, readying themselves to follow the fox's lead. Kuwabara hopped on the vine second, and Yusuke was third.

The Spirit Detective stayed stationary at the base of the plant, his head turned back at Hiei. Was the demon all right? The boy settled on the fact that Hiei was, in fact, okay, and hustled to catch up to Kuwabara's heels.

Hiei huffed. Placing one foot and one hand on the thick vine, he prepared to ascend, but stopped. A free hand touched his cheek, remembering the warmth of someone that Hiei could not, and then grazed on to reach the branch.

After meeting where they had left off, the four moved on throughout the empty hallways. They passed a large auditorium, and found only a pile of rubble and a foul stench. Kurama, being the wise demon that he was, informed them that the rock pieces were actually remnants of a rock beast.

"That's…interesting," Yusuke mused, "So what happened then? Did he commit suicide when he found out that the great Yusuke Urameshi and company were comin' for him?"

"Uh, Urameshi," Kuwabara noted, "Don't ya think that he'd still be in one piece or something if that was true?"

"I hate to agree with the oaf, but he's right," Hiei stated. Before he could continue on, the echo of an animal brimmed over from the hallways and flooded into the auditorium.

"That certainly was not a friendly beast," Kurama began, his awareness of the room apparent by the constant darting of his eyes.

"And I don't think that was any battle cry, that's for sure," Yusuke finished.

"Gah! What the hell is that!" the tallest boy exclaimed. The two jumped and looked toward the place Kuwabara was pointing to. Surely, he had seen the animal that released that cry, or some other monster of the sort…but instead…

…he was pointing at Hiei, who had just uncovered his Jagan Eye in hopes to catch a glimpse of what lay ahead.

"Shut up," Hiei commanded, not turning to direct his anger at the carrot-top but instead concentrating on the direction the sound came from. Upon finding what he desired, he placed the ward back over the eye, and remarked, "I'm surprised that you too were able to look at the Jagan and not crumble. Perhaps you aren't such an idiot after all." The insulted boy's face twitched; he wanted to hit the demon for being so stupid.

A cry echoed again, and this time it was definitely carrying a tone of pain. It caused pieces of the dead beast to rumble, and various building materials to fall in a ruined portion (most likely where the previous battle had taken place) of the room. No verbal communication was needed; the four of them knew that they should head on and out of that area.

Eight minutes had passed since they heard that last and final cry. A mix of blood and beast was approaching. Yusuke ran on ahead, knowing that he would find yet another dead Saint Beast. He was right, and the others discovered that when they caught up to him.

"What's going on here?" Yusuke pondered out loud.

"Someone else is here doing your job, Detective," Hiei informed him.

"That bastard!" the ebony-haired boy asserted, "I'm gonna go make him pay! Ya think I wanted to do a mission on my birthday? I'm not doing this crap for nothin'!" The sound of the detective's voice was cut off since he had dashed on ahead. His pace had increased since Hiei last remembered; proof that the psychic Genkai was everything that he had heard. The demon would have to train harder if he wanted to compete with the boy.

Yusuke's three allies pursued him, passing more empty hallways, and a frigid room containing a lifeless swordsman of ice. They finally found Yusuke, after leaping over bounds of more moss-humans during their trek up a climbing spiral staircase. The boy was slumped over, his butt on the ground and his back against a wall, with his hands in his face. He was frustrated at discovering what he did at the peak of Maze Castle.

A bird-demon rest in his own bloody mess, accompanied by a large smashed flute. Yusuke swore as he stood, and punched at the stone wall behind him, leaving a dent no normal human could leave.

"I saw him," Yusuke explained, "Some tall Japanese guy…and he power-kicked that thing to the ceiling."

"A Japanese dude? In here?" his classmate wondered.

"Yes, you fool," Hiei growled, "Another human, just like you, the detective, and the thief. Hn. What a waste of time."

"And then…" the boy continued, "He just swiped his hand in front of the thing, and touched it for a second. It erupted into that, which is pretty sickening…" Yusuke motioned with his head toward the gory pile of flesh and feathers; "Ya wouldn't think that a fifteen year old kid would have to see so much blood; I didn't think that it would bother me…because I thought at first that demons were bad…"

"We are, in a sense," Kurama quipped, a calm demeanor in his eyes despite the situation.

"But…" Yusuke pleaded softly, "That guy showed no mercy. It was black and white. The demon didn't even know that he was there until he was dead…and the look in his eyes…" The boy had to compose himself; the image replayed in his head, boosted by the result right next to him in reality; "He was trapped, and just wanted to be free. He regretted whatever it was that landed him in this prison, and he really just wanted out." The teen wondered…was Hiei going to feel the same way in the future? Would his two companions die before getting to see their true home again?

He wished that wasn't going to be the case. He would personally see to it that it _wouldn't_.

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Author's Note

If you like the final ending to Yu Yu Hakusho, I made a remix of it. It is one of my favorite songs from the series. Please take a listen (since you can still browse Fanfiction while you listen! ) ) and go to "Artificial Robot", a link in my bio (just click my name at the top). Once you're there, you can easily find the "Music" section on the left menu and get the remix! If you like it, leave me a message in the guestbook of the site. So let me know what you all think!

And, just an FYI on the story - the _only_ OC so far has been Lord Kinpo, that demon who pursued Hiei and Yusuke in the forest earlier on. That's all I'm sayin' !

Anyways - please leave a review! It would be cool to know what you guys think of how I'm doing this so far. I really want to make the changes become greater and greater; it's basically showing how one or two small things can really change life on a grand scale.

-Zelia


	6. Thread VI

Wow, the last update for this was on Valentine's Day! I've been up to a lot since then, and even delved into a work that has a three character pairing. My goodness.

This chapter is going to answer absolutely no questions. It's main function is to connect arcs, introduce Yukina, place in false foreshadowing about how the Dark Tournament will go, and also add a bit more to the relationship between Hiei and Yusuke (and how their friends start seeing it).

I strongly urge you guys to read my other works Sketch Me and The Seibu Project if you like this one. This was basically the first in a string of less comedic and more dramatic writings, Seibu being the second, and Sketch being the latest.

I've also updated my webpage to include more of my works, which will also include content I didn't feel was suitable for for whatever reason. Eventually it'll have alternate endings or chapters in there. So check that out.

Fan-Art is fun. Send me Fan-Fiction Fan-Art!

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Disclaimer: _Yu Yu Hakusho_ is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi. This is a fan-fiction using pre-existing characters in a pre-existing world that is not of my original creation.

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Loan Me Life

By Zelia Theb

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Thread VI

Yusuke felt it. He was being watched, in fact, not just now, but all day. Even while he was at school. He figured that if it was some sort of enemy, it would have to show itself sooner or later. Maybe Koenma would end up contacting him before then anyway. So he paid no mind to the presence, and walked home normally. Upon his arrival, he found a note from his mother; his apartment was empty as usual. No sooner had he put down his empty bookbag had a knock come from the door.

He was surprised to see his friend Kurama behind it. He hadn't seen him in nearly three months, since their first case together with Kuwabara and Hiei. He must have come fresh from school; as he was still adorned in the uniform of his academy.

"Hey, Kurama!" the boy said, embracing the other as a greeting, "You wouldn't happen to be the guy following me all day, would you?"

"No," the teen answered as he removed his shoes, "If it is the same presence I feel now, then it is Hiei."

Said demon revealed himself in a lazy manner, stating, "You're quite astute, fox." The two boys glanced at Yusuke's sofa only to find Hiei lounging impatiently upon its cushions.

"Hiei?" Yusuke questioned, "Haven't seen you in a while either."

"Hn. Can't say the same for you." The truth of the statement shed a little light into the demon's activities over the past ninety-four days

"I take it that you've been following our detective here for the same reason as my visit," the redhead said to Hiei.

"Indeed," the lounging one half-lied, "However I feel no need to inform him. I'd rather just begin our quest and return to this prison."

Kurama sighed, revealing a video-cassette tape which held a recording for the trio to watch. He handed it to Yusuke, requesting that he place it in his VCR right away.

As the static cleared, Kurama gave the tape its proper introduction; "This was sent to Koenma, with a note instructing him to pass it on to his Spirit Detective team. The contents are not pretty, as you'll soon find out."

The image of a dark-haired man taller than Kuwabara appeared on the screen. His eyes lay hidden behind thin black sunglasses, resting upon the bridge of his crooked, rocky nose. The thickness of his body could have been compared to trees, and his forest-leaf trench coat struggled to stay button around his broad torso.

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"Yusuke Urameshi, Kurama, Hiei, Kazuma Kuwabara," the being started, _"I am known as Toguro, and my elder brother and I demand your attendance at the most vile of competitions, the Dark Tournament."_

"You see, Urameshi, you have somewhat of a reputation in the underground. Rumor has it that you defeated the demon Lord Kinpo, and the four Saint Beasts of Maze Castle. Not only that, but I know for a fact that you're an apprentice to one psychic, Genkai."

"Your whole ordeal is very intriguing to us. I've personally been looking for an opponent for which to flex my full strength upon. Allow me to show you some of the recent destruction I've caused by merely using fifty-percent of my strength."

A photograph of the recent collapse of a major building downtown was shown on screen. Yusuke remembered the event well; he had been passing by with Kuwabara when suddenly the construction site seemed to implode on itself. The eerie feeling that his classmate claimed to have at the moment seemed to make a lot more sense now.

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"Urameshi. You'll enter the tournament with your comrades, plus one extra fighter as per tournament rules. You're the leader of the guest team this time around, meaning that you'll have to put on quite a show for the masses of filthy rich human underlords and low class demons, and win. If you don't want to go, fine. But allow me to show you some of the reasons that you'll want to win."

Girls appeared now; as still photographs. First was Yusuke's brunette mother, and next was the tall amber-eyed sister of Kuwabara, Shizuru. Third was an image of Shiori Minamino, and fourth...

Fourth was an image most foreign to Kurama and Yusuke. A pale and icy skinned beauty, with vampire-like blood-red eyes, and seagreen locks appeared. Her smile was most captivating, but something...something about her seemed so familiar.

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"I trust you understand the implication that I will destroy them, and everything they love if you lose the tournament. I'll see you at Hanging Neck Island." The tape flickered off, and back into the flurry of static before Yusuke shut off the television.

"One of you explain. Now." The teen's eyes darted between his two demon guests, taking in the great sadness of Hiei and the stoic behavior of Kurama.

The fox was the first to offer up information; "The Dark Tournament is fighting competition of mainly demons, in which the victor is the team to survive all the deathmatch rounds. It's very dirty, and there are only rules in place in the event that two losers end up in tie. It is held every half-century and-"

"I don't want an encyclopedia, man," Yusuke interrupted him, "What I want to know is why the hell we just don't take this guy out and save all the girls."

"The _girls_ are not in danger, fool," Hiei chastised him, "But they _will_ be if we don't stop the Toguro brothers. They've basically been working as mercenaries for disgusting humans for the past few decades, but now it seems that your fame gives them a run for their reputation. So they have to threaten you in order to get you to fight them."

The detective exhaled quickly. Once again, he knew that there was an easy way out of this, but he figured that his boss would find some sort of spin to put on it, and make it seem like the entire world was in danger. He remarked, "So I bet Koenma said that we should go anyway, because the Toguro brothers are on some sort of 'Most Wanted' list, right?"

"Precisely," Kurama answered.

Yusuke took a seat next to Hiei, rearranging them so that the demon's legs were resting on his lap instead of on the cushion. There was a connection _there_, but Yusuke couldn't quite put his finger on it. All he knew is that the very familiar girl struck a chord within Hiei's eyes; which despite his cold and indifferent expression, seemed to gel over with anxiety.

"Is there more?" he asked in a soft, consoling tone, directing the question at Hiei. An uneasy tension settled like fog. Hiei's eyes glanced at Kurama, and then to Yusuke, before heading back down into his lap.

"My estranged sister," he uttered in response to the unasked meaning of the question, "We're twins. She doesn't even know who I am."

An 'ahh' escaped Kurama's lips. He had just found more jigsaws to complete the complex Hiei puzzle. He deduced, "So that is the purpose of the Jagan. After the three years I've known you, I always knew _what_ the Jagan was, but never why _you_ had one, since you were already strong enough as is."

"Yes, that's why I have it, Kurama," Hiei sneered bitterly, "And you'll not inform that oaf of this, either._ Any of it_."

An idea flickered within the redhead. Flashing his eyelashes, he said, "You're right. I should inform him of this so that we can prepare to leave right away. Hopefully it won't take long; shall we meet back here in an hour?" The other two nodded; "Good. See you two soon." He smirked, as if he had seen something he shouldn't have and now he just knew a little too much. But what could he have seen?

When Kurama's presence was officially gone, Yusuke reached over for the remote to his television, and turned it back on; this time to a station airing some martial arts competition; a rather ironic show to watch. Hiei was still on the sofa, resting in silence, with his eyes still seating in his lap. He could have complained of boredom. He could have gotten up and interrogated the detective on his recent training by sparring with him on the roof of the building. But he didn't. And one would have thought that the teen was so engrossed in the program that he could not speak or concentrate on other things; that was, until he said what he did next...

"No wonder she's so beautiful," he muttered, letting his thoughts purposely slip in order to not only break the calm of the room, but to assure his ally; the ally that he had been so close to and found himself missing even though their meetings were few and far between.

"She is," Hiei agreed in a whisper, bringing his eyes up to Yusuke but still fighting himself to ignore the compliment. Yusuke smiled at him, happy to make eye contact, but broke the gaze when he followed Hiei's legs to his...shoes. Shoes which were on the couch, not to mention, _on feet_.

"You know, Hiei," the boy smirked, setting his arm into position, "My mom would absolutely kill you if she caught ya with your shoes on our couch."

"Heh," the demon joked in return, "I'd _like_ to see her _try_."

"Oh...would you?" The position of the arm turned into a spoon that scooped up Hiei's legs. Yusuke's other arm went beneath his body and now the fire demon was being cradled like a bride. He laughed, "Can't do much about that now, can ya?"

Hiei kicked a bit, using very little energy in his attempt to escape. However, Yusuke was now twirling them, dancing in his apartment and singing a tune that he had learned as child. It was...how would one say...annoying. And fun.

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"Kagami no mukougawa, shiranai..."

It was a catchy tune; Hiei had hoped that it would not stay in his head. He once had the displeasure of hearing a song before, and it engulfed him like water. However, the lyrics felt nice as they vibrated out of Yusuke's warm chest. It washed over Hiei like sunshine on a puddle of rain.

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"Yobikakeru te iru no wa, kegaremo nai..."

The demon could not help but laugh. The song was ridiculously morbid and depressing, despite its childish nature and mild phrasing. Yusuke laughed alongside him, garbling his elite singing skills with giggles; overall turning it into one silly moment that could have become far more precious than it already was...had Kurama not entered the apartment once more without knocking.

"My apologies," Kurama stated, deciding that he should have used the silver communicators handed out by Botan instead of intruding on their privacy to contact them.

"What's up?" Yusuke asked, literally dropping Hiei to the floor in order to further the guilty feeling that was plastered upon their faces.

"You should notify Genkai. I am certain she has already foreseen the necessity to train you for this, but she will be a great asset to us." Kurama waited for a response before leaving, hoping that he hadn't angered either of them. The tension was obvious to everyone, although his two charcoal haired comrades didn't understand that it was due to the tension between _them_.

"Gotcha," Yusuke remarked, "Not sure how long it'll take her to run here or whatever, but I bet Botan could fly her here. Or something. She doesn't have a phone so Botan will prolly be telling her to head here anyhow."

"Right," the other teen nodded, "Well. I'll be on my way." With a wave he left for the second time; figuring that if he took a few extra minutes to help Kuwabara pack it would not be huge issue.

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To Be Continued...

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Author's Note

Like I said. No questions answered. Okay, maybe one. Please don't forget to leave a nice long and constructive review! Short ones are good too. I'm aiming for over 100 on this work.

What I would like to know from you guys is this: What chapter is your favorite so far, and why? Has something in the fic affected you in some way? Do I need to work on a lot? Do I suck?

Another thing I'm challenging you all on is this; where are the song lyrics from? Please remember this story could get removed if you answer in a review but don't...leave a review in the review. Anyway, I prefer emails about anything, so feel free to send away with any questions, answer, requests, or whatnots.

Zelia


	7. Thread VII

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This chapter is dedicated to myself, because I recently had a birthday. I turned 21, and no one even asked about me drinking; which was totally kick-butt since I'm anti-alcohol.

It is also dedicated to the lovely people at Sony and Rockstar. Thank you for killing video games. 360 and Revolution is going to kick your ass this year, and the next, and the next.

The last chapter introduced a lot of unusual changes. No "Rescue Yukina" arc, no killing of Toguro, and making Hiei and Yukina actual twins. While no large events occur, this chapter is so incredibly important I can't even begin to stress the level.

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Disclaimer: _Yu Yu Hakusho_ is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi. This is a fan-fiction using pre-existing characters in a pre-existing world that is not of my original creation.

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Loan Me Life

By Zelia Theb

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Thread VII

Any normal human being wouldn't have been able to sense that this was the day that changed everything. The day where the smallest choice; like what hairbrush to use in the morning; could lead to something as large as war. But _they_ could sense it; along with the demons that were waiting for the "ferry" to Hanging Neck Island. The team was but a few steps away in the forest on the shore, and could already see the masses of demons that they would be competing against in this Dark Tournament.

"Almost there," Yusuke said, "I can sense Genkai. She said that she'd be meeting us there with our fifth team member."

"Uh…Urameshi?" Kuwabara remarked, senses having been heightened by rather quick impromptu training by his demon allies, "Fifth? I don't sense anyone with her…and since when do we need a fifth fighter?"

Kurama, who was striding between Kuwabara and Hiei, remarked, "Tournament rules, I'm afraid. We can only hope that the fighter is Genkai herself, or someone who has the right chemistry with the rest of us."

"It _isn't_ Genkai," Hiei stated, speeding through the crowd and discovering the biggest disappointment of his life. There stood the haggard and elderly psychic Genkai, and next to her; standing no taller than Yusuke's Master; was the most familiar ice apparition. No longer was she adorned in the snow blue kimono of her race…but instead wore the apparel of a fighter.

"Pretty…" Kuwabara mumbled, oblivious to the glare of his shortest demon comrade. Kurama and Yusuke remained silent; did Genkai know that Yukina and Hiei were siblings? They were introduced to each other as the ship's poltergeist captain demanded everyone to board.

"I am Yukina," she smiled politely, "Very nice to meet you!"

"And I!" Kuwabara announced loudly, "Am Kazuma Kuwabara, your loyal team mate!" He took her hand in his, surprised at how cold it was to the touch, and uttered, "Your beauty is unmatched, m'lady. It is a pleasure to fight side by side with you."

Yusuke coughed, "Ahem, idiot…ahem…"

"Hey! Shut up Urameshi!" the tallest remarked, receiving several foul glares from not only his team members but the other "passengers" aboard the ship.

"Shut up, you idiots!" Genkai barked, "Get your asses to that railing and start observing your opponents!" She glanced at Hiei and Kurama, and said, "_You_ should stand with them. You know how easily my idiot student gets distracted. _Someone_ needs to stand guard."

Kurama chuckled at the woman's personality, and remarked, "Everything Yusuke said you would be."

"Hush," Genkai said, "This isn't the time for jokes."

"Hn." Hiei gazed at Yukina and said, "Then why did you bring _her_."

"Oh," Genkai sarcastically answered, "I guess you've just made her search for her brother all the easier."

Hiei hissed threateningly, "You'll not tell her, old woman…"

The psychic replied with a simple statement, annoyed by the lack of peace and quiet; "It's not my secret to tell, demon."

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The hotel? Astonishing.

The island? Beautiful.

The demons? Plentiful.

Filthy rich humans? Everywhere.

Happy? No.

Not one bit.

His sister was the sweet girl who played with the birds in a snow-dusted field. His sister was pure and fragile; who's never witnessed the violence of fighting. Her mouth has never tasted the copper garnet of blood. The worst of it was…why she was there.

Because of him.

He hardly touched the complimentary coffee Yusuke brought for him. He was intent on listening to Yukina tell her story to the rest of the bunch; a group which seemed to acquire a transformed teenaged Koenma and a rather obnoxious Botan; from another room.

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"To tell you all the truth, I've really never fought before!" Hiei clenched his left hand into a fist and banged it on the table lightly.

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"Hmm…Yukina. Doesn't that bother you? Do you believe that you'll be ready for something like this?"

"Well…no…"

"Damn it…" Hiei muttered. He made a move to slam his fist down again, but Yusuke stopped it, placing his palm over the curled fingers in a consoling gesture.

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"But I believe that what I'm fighting for will make me stronger!"

"Ohh! Yukiiina! You're so amazing!"

Yusuke gave the tightened hand a gentle squeeze, and said, "It's okay. The four of us can fight. You said she has healing powers, right? If I remember the rules correctly…"

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"What I'm fighting for? Oh…well. I heard that my brother was a powerful fighter…. I thought that he might be here. I would know it when he fought! I just would!"

"You mean you don't know your brother! That's so sad for someone as sweet as you!"

"I don't…. But I want to find him!"

Hiei seethed under his breath, "That fox better not say _one word_." The detective brought his eyes up from their hands, and stared at Hiei. His look was intense and disjointed; separated from him and focused only on the words of the happy bunch in the main room adjoining their suites.

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"I know that he is honorable, and handsome, and that he would never fight unless he had to."

"D'ya know what he looks like?"

"Kuwabara, you mustn't pry."

"Oh, Kurama, sir! It's no big deal! In fact, I think that he must look like me since we are twins."

"I've had enough of this, Detective," the estranged brother said, jerking his hand away from its precious hold, "When is our first match?"

As Yusuke made a move to speak, he heard Kuwabara enter the room, and shout, "Urameshi! Why aren't you guys out there?" Noticing the extremely perturbed expression upon 'shrimpy's' face, he whispered, "Hey, what's wrong with that guy?"

"Maybe you should try figuring out what's wrong with _you_, idiot," the demon sneered.

Kuwabara just wasn't in the mood to take that, and retorted, "_I'm_ in love, and I don't need ta hear your crap, Hiei!"

"Pfft," Hiei returned, still not facing either of the human boys, "Yes. That _must_ be it. Since you're acting like a complete circus clown."

"Hey! Shut up!" Kuwabara shouted again, "Sure, I mean, being in love _does_ make people a little crazy sometimes, but that doesn't excuse what ya said! You've got no idea what love is so why don't ya just shut up?" The detective pondered breaking them up, but was most curious as to what Hiei would say in response.

"Hn. Why don't you _enlighten_ me then, Oh Great Idiot," crimson eyes sarcastically requested, slanting for effect.

The tallest of the triad placed his hands on his hips and leaned over to say, "Fine! I will." He crossed his arms and began to define; what some call the hardest thing to define; the emotion of love.

"Love is when you can't keep your eyes off of them for even a second; and when you're not there, or can't, you still picture them in your head. Love is when you find yourself changing for the better because of that person."

Yusuke sipped at his creamy coffee; "Like rescuing someone you intended on kidnapping."

Almond brown eyes flinched; "Uhh, yeah. I guess that too!"

The teen put his coffee down; "Interesting."

"Love is when ya do stuff out of character and ya don't even care who's there to see it."

"Shut up," Hiei finally said.

"I'll get-"

"_Boys!_" yelled Botan, who intruded with the rest of the parade(1), "Stop arguing! Your first match is in two hours! You have to get ready!"

Yukina stepped forward from the back of the crowd, where she was barely seen due to her height, and asked her brother, "Hiei, sir? Would you mind if I watched as the two of you trained?" Her eyes fell to Yusuke and then back upon the red-eyed demon.

"We aren't tr-"

"Sure, Yukina," Yusuke said, standing, "Make sure that you keep an eye on how we move, all right?" The maiden nodded and smiled; an expression that both shook and broke Hiei's heart every time he witnessed it.

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To Be Continued…

(1) Haha. Get it? Clown Parade? Okay. Maybe not. So overly witty that I just had to over-wit it and make it completely obscure. And then I had to be lame and let you know that I thought of that.

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Author's Note

This chapter…is sad. As in really uneventful and very filler-like. Read as a single chapter; its quite boring. Once Thread VIII is up (which now that THIS boring stuff is out of the way, I can get to!), reading Thread VI-VII will make it much more exciting.

Basically, the story is entirely planned out now, and everything from here on in is critical. Thread VIII and/or Thread IX; I will warn you about. What am I warning about? Well, you'll see when the chapters are up.

The song in Thread VI was "Dead or Alive" …as sung by Yusuke Urameshi. Yup. It's still allowed (In my opinion) since the vocal tracks are meant to go with the series (the remix on Super Dance Mix is better than the original). This is also in the OVA (Which, by the way, Yusuke has a dream in it that he is married to Botan. Proves that Yusuke CAN dream about other people instead of Keiko).

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Zelia


	8. Thread VIII

**Disclaimer:** _Yu Yu Hakusho_ is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi. This is a fan-fiction using pre-existing characters in a pre-existing world that is not of my original creation.

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**Loan Me Life**

By Zelia Theb

**Thread VIII**

Yukina learned quickly. She already had some basic moves in, and Kurama was able to demonstrate ways to control her regular abilities into refinement. She was pleased; and more so when Kazuma would assist her. It was plainly obvious that the two had taken an immediate liking to each other; a fact that Hiei both loved _and_ hated.

In fact, if they were to marry, then Yukina's children would be banished from their home. They would be just like _him_. Thankfully it could be to someone he knew and trusted, despite their many quarrels.

But that was too far into the future. The pressing issue was the first match. He had completely missed the opening announcements; which were eloquently spoken by the tournament's announcer and referee; the fuzzy-eared Koto.

The rules were simple, though. Kill or be killed; or at least knock your opponent to the floor or out of the arena for ten seconds. Yusuke was busy deciding the specifics of the match with the other team's captain; some blonde and pallid pyromancer that Hiei cared not to remember the name of.

"One on one, then," the soothing egotistical tone the other captain, Zeru, said.

"Fine," Yusuke huffed. The incessant howls and taunts of the crowd were more than irritating him at this point. He felt like shoving pins into his ear drums just to get rid of the din.

"Dimwit," Genkai blurted out beneath her breath.

"Ssszzzeeeeru," hissed a serpent-like member of the team, "Sssssshouldn't weeees rollssss the dicesssss?"

Zeru considered it for a moment before verifying Yusuke's affirmation of the set rules, and remarked, "Why yes, Pliskin (1)." Turning to Koto, he switched it up, eyeing Yusuke in an attempt to force the rule upon him whether he liked it or not, and stated, "We'd like to roll dice. Whatever names come up have to battle together."

"Hey!" burst Kuwabara, "That means one of us could end up fighting more than once!"

"Hn," replied Hiei, "Let's just hope that _my_ name comes up all five times."

Yusuke smirked and nodded to the terms. Within seconds, Koto informed the crowd, which somehow figured out a way to get louder.

"_Just roll the dice already!_"

Clink, clink, clink.

"Okay, everyone! Time to get some blood spilling as Kurama and Pliskin enter the ring!"

Hiei was dozing off. This Pliskin was unskilled. How had it managed to get to the tournament anyway? Clearly Kurama was going to be the victor, as the demon apparently hadn't noticed that the redhead had already planted the infamous death seed within its scaly epidermis.

"Heh! Quits dansssssssing arounds! Humanssss...boys..."

"As you wish," stated Kurama, planting his last graceful step as he stood his ground. No sooner had he stopped did a vile and ferocious plant spring forth from Pliskin's chest.

"And the winner is, Kurama of the Urameshi team!"

The matches were fairly easy from then on. Kuwabara had a bit of trouble at first with the yo-yo slinging apparition Rinku, but in the end won with his extreme stamina. However, the luck of the draw chose him to fight twice, and he lost with little injury to a mohawk-donning fellow named Chuu.

"Hn," Hiei grunted, casting a watchful glance at his sister, "It is down to myself and the Detective."

"What about me?" Yukina asked, digging her toe nervously into the ground, "I haven't fought yet."

"I dunno, Yukina," Yusuke responded with charm, "I mean, these guys are pretty tough...I don't think Kurama here is capable of healing everyone."

The dense fog within the fire demon's mind did not lift, though. She would have no choice if her name was picked. But the detective certainly was...nice to try and make her feel better.

"Next up! Zeru and Yukina! This is for the win for the Urameshi team!"

"_Boo! Tear that girlie up, Zeru!_" Hiei hissed at the crowd with his hand planted firmly on the hilt of his sword.

"_If you don't, I will, if ya know what I mean!_"

"No, Hiei!" Yusuke reminded him, "It's better to stay here and make sure everything is okay."

"She'll be fine. Her offensive powers are just as capable as her defensive and support powers." The elder psychic moved to the forefront and glanced at Hiei, just to say, "I thought that _you_ knew that already, though."

"Hag," retorted the demon.

"Child," she replied.

"Okay!" Koto announced, "Ready! Set! Begin!"

Flames swirled in a tornadic upheaval with Zeru at the epicenter. A massive display of demonic power emanated from him. It challenged Hiei; taunting him as if he knew his little secret.

"Stand back, you fools!" Genkai cried out, tossing up a barrier around the group as the flames danced their way up into the stadiums and scorched a perfect charcoal line into the crowd.

"Whoa! What a display of raw power!" declared a cowering Koto, "I love it!"

Yukina survived easily, having draped herself beneath a shower of snow. When the firestorm dwindled to nothing, Zeru smirked, and said, "Hmm. You'd think that fire would melt snow, but this isn't the case now, is it?"

"N-no..." the maiden stammered.

"Stupid bitch." With that he charged forward at the unsuspecting girl, and tossed a kick into her right side. She fell with yelp and immediately her spherical shield was around her once again. Pressing her palms to her side, she eased the pain, and stood within the walls of her creation.

"Damn it!" cursed Hiei, "I knew she wasn't ready!"

"Hi-." Yusuke was interrupted by his master.

"Hush. Watch."

A lithe hand reached to the sky, almost as if it was gathering the clouds themselves, and she created her own miniature funnel of ice. The rapid spinning particles of snow raced around her cold orb of protection, forming a damage shield that; if touched; would leave the attacker paralyzed.

Or so she thought, until Zeru breeched the forcefield and placed his hands upon her throat. Pandemonium swept through what remained of the audience as Yukina struggled to breath.

"Ah...augh...!" Jewels hit the floor as her eyes teared up. Would no one help her? She looked to her team but she knew that it was no use. She had no idea who these people were, or what their purpose really was.

And what if the very person taking her life was her brother?

What was there for Hiei to do? Of all the times he had watched her, of all the times he had kept a vigil outside her window, she had never shed tears from physical pain. He _had_ to interfere, or else...

_"Don't look,"_ said a pervading voice in her brain, _"Just stare at him."_

She was vexed. Telepathy? Or was she going crazy from the slow crushing of her windpipe? It was better than nothing...it was better than dying...

_"Heal. It'll defend against a physical attack."_

"Yukina!" an upset Kuwabara called out, "Hang in there! Please!"

Her misted eyes faded not, but as she struggled to keep up with the slow pace of her death, she listened to that voice; that calming voice that let her know her fight would be for something.

Another jewel fell.

"W-what? She cries gems?" asked Kuwabara as he turned toward Kurama for answers.

"Indeed, Kuwabara," he answered, "They're very expensive on the black market. Her race is often captured and tortured to produce them..." The tallest let out a squawk of horror.

Particles of frozen diamond ascended from the ring, filling her heart with life. The pain was not absent; it was still a tangible force upon her neck. Each crack in her vertebrae was filled almost immediately; but for how long could she keep this up?

Would she really have to kill another being?

_"No. He can live,"_ Hiei assured her, as if reading her mind. However, he did not possess that ability; he merely came to such a conclusion through the expression across his sister's face.(2)

_"His eyes. Freeze them."_

With all of her might and waning power, she shook her head slightly at the thought of the violent act.

_"Do it!"_ he shouted in her head, ashamed he had reacted in such a way.

"You're eventually going to wear down, woman, just like all women do eventually." Zeru smiled, baring petite fangs at the moist eyes in front of his face and remarked, "I've got you completely under my control."

The detective regarded the scene with anxiety, up until a shiver was sent up his spine. The temperature _drastically_ changed just then, and shivering was all he could do to keep himself warm. Was anyone else this cold? How come he couldn't see her doing anything? Why wasn't it affecting Hiei, or more importantly, Zeru?

"Let me go!" she shouted, sending the suspended and sharp shards of water into a spiral toward the ring. Zeru fell backwards, stumbling on his own heels and gripping at his face in pain. He tumbled over the side of the ring, nearly missing Koto on his way down, and screamed in agony as he felt the sticky and cold substance of his own blood fall from his eye sockets.

"Yukina!" yelled her crush from the sidelines.

"One! Two!" The counting had commenced.

"Ka-Kazuma..." choked the apparent victor, "I'm-I'm okay..."

"Eyes! Eyes!" the agonized blonde screeched.

"Ten!" Koto finished, "Zeru is out! Team Urameshi wins the first round of the tournament!"

"Gah! Gah! Gah!" The losing team's captain ran onto the arena platform in convulsions.

Yukina let out a gasp, interrupting her own healing and ran over to aid the afflicted captain.

"Gah! Gah! Gah!"

"What is it? What did I do?" Saddened eyes looked to their team for help.

Chuu, a master of drunken fighting and at being just plain _drunk_, stumbled onto the arena as well. With a hiccup, he said, "Ay', girlie, ya've gone and frozen those oculars of 'is. Gone right to 'is brain, I'm 'fraid."

"No!" she whimpered.

"It's fine, then, see?" he pointed out, "'E's already back t'normal. 'As that fire power, 'e does. Just a seizure."

"He'll be all right, Yukina," Genkai said, setting Yukina's mind at ease, "What you did there was amazing. You should be proud of what you've done today."

Yukina sniffled; "Really?"

"Of course!" Kuwabara exclaimed, offering out a hand to help her up, "Really just honorable and that's okay in my book!"

"Thank you, Kazuma!" she smiled, embracing him quickly, "I felt like I was going to die. But then...I felt my brother. I knew he was alive! Like he helped me get through it...helped me not give up and showed me the honorable way..."

Yusuke smiled; a bit of mist lining his eyes; and said, "He's probably a great guy."

"Yeah, I'd sure like to meet him some day!" his best friend concurred with a nod, "We'd probably get along really well." The detective and the fox coughed, both having to choke upon their own laughter at the irony of the statement.

_To Be Continued..._

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(1) Metal Gear Solid Reference

(2) Telepath does not equal empath. Telepathy is psychic communication. Empathy is the ability to feel other's thoughts and emotions (thus read thoughts). This sentence was a statement on the inaccuracy of fanfiction where Hiei can read everyone's thoughts if he wanted to. I encourage everyone to research psychics and the paranormal before writing fictions surrounding powers not spoken of in the series.

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A filler chapter, sort of. It's building up. But what would the Dark Tournament be? I can assure you guys that I really don't want to write forty chapters of matches, so don't worry about that.

Rereading might be good if you're all a bit lost...it has been a while since I last updated. I'll refresh your memories for you quickly and say that Loan Me Life is the overall theme. They are looking for reasons to justify survival (Thread IV, I think?).

Don't forget to review!

Zelia


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